Chokehold
by XenaLives
Summary: The timeline for for 3 x12 "The Lady Killer" left enormous gaps in the narrative. Paige received the text from A to meet at the cemetery at 10 pm, presumably, Friday afternoon and took off from Emily's at that time. Where did she go? Where was she all day Saturday? She tells the police Nate "got her" before she reached the cemetery.When? Where? How? This is my answer and then some.
1. Chapter 1

Paige regretted taking off so suddenly from Emily's house Friday afternoon. Having received the threatening text from A she knew there was no way she could spend time with her without giving away her fears and that something was profoundly wrong. Emily could always see right through her and she couldn't take that chance. Not with Emily's safety at risk.

The rest of Friday night had passed oh so slowly as Paige sat alone in her room worrying about what was going to happen Saturday night. Was she in danger? Was she going to meet A? Could she put an end to this and finally let Emily and her friends have some peace. Oh, God, she hoped so.

Saturday's sunlight streamed in through Paige's window early in the morning. Paige didn't remember falling asleep. She had paced, fretted and checked her phone for more messages until the wee hours. She awoke exhausted and tense with a sickening sense of foreboding about tonight and what she could expect. At least, she thought, Emily's friends would finally believe she had no part in this. She was not A and the only thing she had an interest in was keeping Emily safe. She frowned to herself as she thought of the stress Emily must be under. The trial of the man accused of murdering her girlfriend was beginning and constant threats from A. Now, her closest friends were driving a wedge between them because of their outlandish belief that Paige was out to hurt them. Worse, to hurt Emily. She could feel the blood rush to her head in anger at the thought.

She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. Only 7:15 Saturday morning. She had nearly 13 hours to wait to meet A at the cemetery. She fell back into her pillow and scrubbed her face with her hands letting out a strangled growl. How was she going to get through this day?

Emily had texted her last night, believing she was going to be occupied with her "family stuff", and let her know she was going out of town with Nate and his family who were in town for the trial. Paige didn't like it. Not after the kiss. It was better than the alternative though of having Emily around and in danger tonight. She gave Emily her blessing, told her she loved her and that she'd see her on Monday.

Paige, unable to navigate the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling right now, would probably be feeling all day, decided to go for a long run in the woods to clear her mind. Maybe later this afternoon she would walk out to the cemetery and take a look around just to get the lay of the land. God, who did she think she was Buffy? She was in way over her head. She got dressed in her running gear, laced up her sneakers and headed out to the trails.


	2. Chapter 2

Paige's feet pounded the dirt paths through the woods with a confidence and familiarity. She ran these trails several times a week. She stopped at the marker she knew to be two miles in and checked her watch. Three minutes faster than last week. She barked a laugh to herself in between gulping lungfuls of clean, cool air. Apparently life threatening situations were good for your times. She had run all the way to the back entrance to the park. There was a small parking lot with a single empty car. Paige fixed her eyes on it for a few minutes, hands on hips to open her lungs and oxygenate, secretly wishing it was her car and she could hop in it without having to run another two miles back to the lot where she had parked.

She wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve, reset her watch and turned to start the run back. Not ten yards in Paige rounded a thick stand of trees and slammed into someone standing in the middle of the trail.

"Oof!" She let out ragged breath as strong arms went around her and they staggered several steps with the force of the collision. Paige, uncomfortable with the contact, extricated herself from the person's grasp and took several steps back panting from exertion and alarm.

"Oh, my God!" She put a hand to her chest to steady her breathing. "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you. Are you alright?" She stepped forward again and realized, eyes widening, she was looking at Nate St. Germaine.

"Yeah." Nate smiled crookedly. "Paige, right? Emily's friend?" His smile got wider and made Paige slightly uncomfortable for some reason.

"I thought you and Emily were heading out of town today? What are you doing here?" Paige's eyes narrowed and the hair stood up along her arms. She always had good instincts and they were letting her know something was very wrong. She took a step backward.

"We are. I just had to come into town to pick up a few things before I left." Nate said eyeing Paige intensely.

"In town?" Paige looked around at the woods cocking an eyebrow and then back at Nate. She crossed her arms over her chest. If she were standing on the other side of him she would have taken off right now. He was between her and the direction she needed to go to get back to her car. As an afterthought it occurred to her that that must be his car in the back parking lot.

"Oh well, you got me". He smiled flashing white teeth but the smile did not reach his eyes. "There is something I need to pick up out here, too."

Paige watched with increasing alarm as his smile turned into a snarl and turned to run just as Nate lunged for her. She barely made it two steps before Nate was on her and his muscular arm snaked around her neck pulling backward savagely as her back arched and her feet left the ground. It all happened so fast she didn't have time to yell for help. She pulled frantically at the arm around her throat and kicked wildly with her legs as she struggled to get air into her already oxygen depleted lungs. She could feel Nate's hot, heavy breathing on the back of her neck and ear and she could swear she heard him chuckle as she continued to struggle. Her right leg swung back hard and her heel connected solidly with his right knee.

He grunted and lurched forward loosening his grip on her. Paige's feet hit the ground and she tried to run but he never let go of her completely. "Bitch!" He snarled in her ear as he tightened his grip on her again and instead of leaning back he leaned over her and down. The weight of his strong body bearing down on her was too much and Paige collapsed to her knees. Nate continued to tighten his chokehold while leaning in to her and the muscles in Paige's neck and back screamed in protest as she struggled against his weight.

"Easy, easy now." Nate soothed in her ear. "Quit fighting and this will stop hurting. It will be over soon."

Paige let out a strangled yell, raging against his words and tried to rear back and break his hold. He had all the leverage, however, and simply maintained his grip and his weight above her. Her hands gripped weakly at his arm for a few more seconds before the world grayed out around her. There was searing pain in her neck and back and her head pounded with the lack of oxygen. He was going to kill her. No, not like this. Emily. Her world went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Nate felt when the last of the fight went of the girl and she slumped unconscious to the ground. He released his grip on her neck and stood stretching his back and rolling his shoulders to ease the tension. He flexed his knee and winced feeling it already beginning to swell beneath his pants.

Damn he thought. She's stronger than I anticipated. Like Maya. Emily sure knows how to pick them. He knew he would be sore tomorrow. He and his buddies at camp spent many afternoons practicing their MMA choke holds on each other. He knew he could do it but wasn't prepared for the struggle the girl would put up. As he looked down at her he could see, underneath the hair plastered to her neck with sweat, a ugly purplish bruise already forming around her throat. He hoped he hadn't done too much damage. Yet. It would mess up his plans.

He knew, also, that she wouldn't be out for long. At most a few minutes. He had to get her in the car before she came around or, worse, someone saw them. He bent to pick her up and winced again at the twinge in his knee. She hurt him and it made him angry. He was none too gentle as he picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder. Despite her seemingly slight frame she was all athletic muscle and Nate grunted as he hobbled with her the ten yards or so to his car. There was still no one around and he quickly keyed open the trunk and wrestled her inside. He reached around her body for the roll of duct tape and began wrapping it tightly around her wrists and ankles. He wound the tape a few times around her middle pinning her bound hands close to her body. He was sweating with the effort and had just torn off the last strip when Paige groaned and her eyelids began to flutter. He watched as her head lolled from side to side. He'd experienced, many times, the disorientation of coming around from a choke out and he watched as her brow furrowed at what he knew to be blinding pain from lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain.

Nate heard her rasping breaths and saw her lips move as if she was trying to speak. He tore off a piece of tape to place over her mouth. As he leaned in to silence her he heard her ragged voice. "Emily…"

He slammed the trunk shut and checked his watch. Almost 8:30am. He was not too far behind schedule but he was picking Emily up at noon and he needed to get up to the lighthouse with his cargo and back to Rosewood to get Emily on time.


	4. Chapter 4

Paige concentrated on her breathing slowly through her nose as she bumped and rolled in the trunk of the car. Her mouth felt like a thousand deserts and when she tried to work up a swallow her throat ached terribly. She was confused about what had happened. Why was Nate trying to hurt her? Was he A? That made no sense. Emily just met him. As far as anyone knew he had no connection to everything that's been going on.

She felt the car slow and the bumping got worse. She grunted as the jostling aggravated her damaged muscles. She wondered, fleetingly, if she would be able to swim at the next meet. The car came to a stop and she heard the engine shut off. She heard the opening and closing of the car door and her breath came rapid and shallow as she waited for the trunk to open.

She blinked furiously in the sunlight and squinted hard as the light amped up the pounding pain in her head. Nate loomed over her with a leering grin.

"Alright." He said as he reached in and grabbed her by the arms. "Everyone out." He hauled her roughly out of the trunk and she failed to stifle a groan from all the abuse her body was taking. She hated for him to see her so weak and vulnerable. He looked at her and smiled at the fury in her eyes.

"You think you want to kill me don't you?" He mocked her.

Her eyes flashed with anger and fear but she managed to control herself from trying to speak or lunge at him. It would only hurt her more and amuse him to watch her struggle against her bonds.

"Come on. Let's get you settled." Nate half dragged and half carried Paige to the cabin. She had no idea where she was but she didn't think they been on the road more than a half hour. Nate toed open the door with a boot, dragging Paige over the threshold and dumped her unceremoniously on the battered couch. Paige met his eyes as he looked at her thoughtfully, seemingly considering his next step. Before she could prepare herself he reached down and she gasped as he yanked the tape of her mouth.

"I made good time getting up here. We have a few minutes to get to know each other before I have to be back to pick up Emily for our weekend away." Nate sneered. "I"m sure you have some questions for me. Fire away." He moved off to another room.

Paige struggled to find a more comfortable position and looked around the cabin. It was rustic but clean and well appointed. Throw blankets on the backs of chairs, well worn pocket novels on the side tables and a rug in front of the fireplace. She heard Nate moving around behind her opening and closing cabinet doors and tried to turn and see him but the pain her neck was too severe.

"Are you…" Her voice was the barest croaking rasp and it was painful to speak. She tried again. "So you're A?" Paige finally managed.

Nate stopped what he was doing. "Am I who?" He sounded genuinely confused at the question.

Paige didn't elaborate as her original suspicions were confirmed by his response. She couldn't help but think of the irony of this situation. She spent all night worrying about the threat of A and now she was facing a threat she never even saw coming. She would have laughed had it not been so painful to use her vocal cords.

"Who are you? What is this about?" She managed to whisper. God, what she wouldn't do some water.

As if he could read her mind Nate came around from behind her and sat on the sofa next to her with a bottle of water. "Here. Drink this." He extended to bottle towards her lips and she jerked back.

Nate sighed and looked her in the eyes. "Drink the water, Paige. You're going to need to stay hydrated. It's going to be a long day." He held the bottle out to her again.

Paige wanted to refuse, she wanted to smack that bottle of water right out of his hand. She still didn't understand any of this but, as an athlete, she knew if she let herself get dehydrated she would be in worse shape than she already was. She leaned towards him as he touched the rim of the bottle to her lips. He tipped it gently and she was able to manage three or four long swallows before the pain in her throat was too much and she had to pull away dribbling water down her chest. She coughed slightly as she worked the moisture around in her mouth. The water tasted tinny but it was helping her fierce thirst.

Nate held the bottle up again. "More?"

Paige leaned in and managed two more healthy swallows before having to pull away.

"That's probably plenty." Nate set the bottle on the coffee table. "Now to answer your questions. I am Lyndon James. The man Maya St. Germaine would have been spending the rest of her life with if not for Emily Fields."

"What? What are you talking about?" Paige could feel her heart racing as the pieces started falling into place. This man had a relationship with Maya when? At that camp? But Maya came back to be with Emily. She sucked in her breath as realization struck. "You killed Maya." She breathed.

Lyndon seemed to enjoy watching the wheels turn in Paige's head as she came to the only possible conclusion. She didn't wait for him to answer but began to look around the room again in earnest. Given any other situation she would describe the cabin as cozy, maybe romantic with the right person.

Lyndon looked positively menacing when he snarled his reply. "People who disrespect me and play me get what they deserve."

"You're bringing Emily here?" Paige could feel her heart pounding in her chest in fear. "To kill her?" Her voice was barely a whisper. She was beginning to feel dizzy and disconnected. Like the room was too small. Like there wasn't enough air.

"Close." Lyndon studied her face. "I'm bringing Emily here so she can watch me kill you."

Paige knew she should be beyond afraid right now. For herself as well as for Emily. Instead she felt lightheaded and some of the pain began to ease. Lyndon looked very far away and she just wanted to lay her head down and sleep. She tried to remain sitting up straight and she concentrated on opening her eyes. Her gaze fell on the half empty water bottle and she stared hard at it. She sucked in a breath and met Lyndon's steady gaze and blinked rapidly to keep him in focus. Her tongue felt too thick in her mouth and head was suddenly too big for her shoulders.

"Wha...what did you do to me?" She slurred dropping her head back against the sofa.

Lyndon smiled his joyless smile. "Just gave you a little something to take the edge off. Something to help you get through the rest of the day. I can't have you interrupting my plans with Emily now can I."

Paige fought desperately against the heaviness dragging her down. Her eyelids were so heavy. Her mouth too complicated to work. "Please….no. Please, don't hurt her." Was the last thing she managed before Lyndon taped her mouth again.

"Shhhhh. We're going to have a big night." He hefted Paige's body across the room and dumped her onto the floor in the closet. He had to bend down to rearrange her bound limbs to get the doors to close. He took one last look around the cabin. Poured the water down the sink, locked the door and headed back to Rosewood to pick up Emily. Now the fun was really going to start.


	5. Chapter 5

Paige tried to open her eyes. It was as if they had been glued shut. She thought she heard a distant door close. Were those voices? Who was here? How long had she been here? She remembered everything slowly. Oh, God, Emily. She sounded far away. Paige felt like she was drifting underwater. Voices again. A boy. She willed herself to move to no avail. The drugs, whatever they were, still had a hold on her. She felt her awareness slipping away again.

Awareness returned again slowly. There was a television on. She heard a girls voice. Talking to Emily. No, talking about Emily. The boy's voice again speaking softly. Her muddled brain could only pick out pieces of the conversation.

"...I said don't look at me like that!" Lyndon was yelling. She heard Emily gasp in pain or fright.

Paige struggled to sit up. To cry out and let Emily know she was here. Her body cried out in response. All the damage done to it and the drugs kept her frozen and silent on the floor. All she could do is listen as silent tears slid down her face. She could hear more conversation but couldn't make out all what was said.

"Did you bring me here to kill me, too?" Emily's voice sounded shaky and terrified.

"I'm going to do to you what you did to me. I'm going to take something from you and you're going to watch me do it!" Lyndon sounded vicious and determined.

Paige pushed on the floor with her bound hands. Her damaged muscles screaming in protest. She got herself sitting up, panting with the effort as she heard footsteps come close and the closet doors were ripped open. Lyndon stood there with a knife in his hand looking like he couldn't wait to use it.

Paige tried to focus on him then quickly looked to Emily on the sofa. Seeing the shock and terror on her face. Paige breathed heavily through her nose, choking on her tears looking wildly from Lyndon looming above her to Emily's fear stricken face. Lyndon returned to Emily's side holding the knife at her throat. Paige could barely contain her fear for her. She struggled against the tape that held her so tightly and against the drugs that still fogged her mind. She needed to think clearly. She needed to help Emily. With the doors open now she could hear their conversation.

"When we kissed I thought, maybe I don't have to hurt her." Lyndon caressed Emily's face and Paige's fury burned hot. "Maybe I can move on with Emily. But just like Maya you were playing me."

"That's not true." Emily's terrified voice reached Paige and and silent tears streamed down her face.

"I gave you a choice. You picked her." Lyndon replied. He removed the knife from Emily's throat and slowly got up. He walked toward Paige and, out of corner of her eyes she saw Emily move fast while his back was turned and grab the cellphone off the table.

He looked back at Emily briefly before reaching down, grabbing Paige by her bound wrist and yanking her to her feet. Paige cried out in pain beneath the tape and couldn't help the muffled crying as he threw her down on the sofa next to her girlfriend. Paige's eyes were wild with pleading and fear for herself and for Emily.

Lyndon sat down on the other side of Paige and gripped the back of neck tightly sending waves a pain through her. He held the knife to Paige's throat. "I want you to see this."

"No, No…" Emily breathed desperately. "My friends know I'm here. My mom knows. They'll find you." She tried to convince Lyndon he would never get away with hurting them.

"You underestimate me, Emily. I have been planning this for months. They think you're here with Nate St. Germaine and he doesn't exist." Lyndon kept his grip firm on Paige's neck. Her eyes were tightly shut trying to fight off waves of pain and nausea.

"Who are you? Really?." Emily continued to try and negotiate. To keep him talking. To buy them some time. Despite her overwhelming fear Paige had never loved Emily more than right at this moment. Emily was going to fight for her. For them both,. Paige could hear it in her voice.

Lyndon moved his hand from Paige's neck and grabbed a fistfull of her hair pulling her head farther back, exposing more of her throat to his knife and eliciting a gasp of pain from her. 'I'm Lyndon. Lyndon James."

"Lyndon, you don't have to do this." Emily pleaded. "Okay? You can leave. You can walk away. I won't tell anybody…"

"I've waited as long as I could but I think Jenna saw me with Maya and now with her parents in town for the trial...times up." He shrugged indicating the conversation was over and and turned his attention from Emily to Paige focusing on pressing the knife against the soft, bruised skin of her throat.

Paige pushed against his chest with her bound hands trying to keep him away. Her pleas of " No, no, no…." were muffled by the tape over her mouth.

They all heard the sound outside. Emily jerked her head around to the door and Lyndon released Paige and jumped up to the slide the curtains aside and peer out the window. Paige's breath was desperate and labored and her eyes that found Emily were wild with fear and relief. Emily started to reach for her and Paige shook her head pleading to Emily with her eyes. Run, Emily, please. Emily was torn for the briefest of moments and then she took off with the phone out the back door.


	6. Chapter 6

It was, at most, three seconds before Lyndon looked back at Paige on the sofa and the back door wide open. He lunged for the door and Paige reacted reflexively throwing herself off the sofa and colliding with Lyndon as he ran by. It wasn't much but it was enough that Lyndon fell sending the knife skittering out of his hand. He quickly jumped to his feet and turned snarling at Paige. She was incapable of defending herself as he kicked her hard in the back. She curled into as tight a ball as she could manage trying to breathe through the pain her eyes tightly shut.

When she could look up she saw he was gone and he had collected his knife from the floor. She prayed desperately that she had given Emily enough time to get away. Paige lay there panting heavily for a few moments when she heard the front crash open. Caleb stood in the doorway looking swiftly around the room. He saw Paige and was at her side in a heartbeat kneeling down to take the tape off her mouth.

"Oh my God, Paige! Are you alright." Caleb tried to help her to sit up.

Paige gulped in excruciating lungfuls of air. "Please, Caleb…" She gasped. "Help Emily. Go after her."

"What about you?" He was ripping at the tape binding her wrists.

"I'm okay." Paige lied. She twisted her hands back and forth to help loosen the tape. "Please, there's no time. Go!" She pushed Caleb away and watched anxiously as he tore out the door to go after Emily and Lyndon.

Paige set back to work ripping at the tape around her wrists. Caleb had made a good start for her but it was tight and had been stuck a long time. She worked her wrists around in half circles and brought her hands to her face to pull at the shredding tape with her teeth grunting with the effort. She got her hands free and ripped at the bands around her middle, shrugging her shoulders painfully to loosen the tape's hold on her clothes. Long minutes stretched by and she was sweating and desperate with the effort to free herself and go to Emily and Caleb. They had to be alright.

Her head snapped up at a far away bang. Was that a gunshot? Oh, god, please no. She pulled frantically at the tape around her ankles no longer feeling pain from any of the injuries she had endured. More minutes crawled by and she could hear multiple sirens approaching, getting louder and red and blue lights flashed through the window and were reflected of the glass and the walls.

She was free, finally, and leapt to her feet and out the door. There were half a dozen police cars and several ambulances pulling up along the dirt road toward the cabin. Officers and paramedics were spilling out around her, seemingly oblivious to her presence at the moment. She didn't know where to go and looked around blinking rapidly in the flashing lights. She watched a team of medics dash off with their kits toward the lighthouse. Another car pulled up and she saw Aria, Spencer and Hannah spill out in a rush but be stopped by the police and forced to stay behind the hastily erected yellow line of crime scene tape.

She walked forward toward them but was stopped by two officers approaching.

"Miss? Miss?" One of them put a hand on her arm. "We need you to come over here with us. We need to ask you a few questions." They guided her away from the center of the melee.

"Where's Emily?" She looked around frantically over her shoulder."Where's Emily? Is she Okay?" She gasped as she saw the paramedics coming back from the lighthouse wheeling a stretcher. "No, No….Emily!" She cried and tried to run around the officers leading her away.

"Miss, we need you to calm down. We need to understand what happened here." The officer gripped her arm as he struggled to get passed them. "Emily Fields is okay. That's not her. Can you hear me?" The officer tried to get his face in front of Paige's to get her attention focused on him. "Emily Fields is okay. She's not injured."

His words began to register and Paige looked at the two police officers for the first time. She looked again to to the stretcher to see Caleb, his clothes cut away and an oxygen mask over his face. She caught a flash of a blood soaked bandage over his abdomen. Through the crackling of radios, car doors slamming, and voices barking out orders she heard Hannah Marin cry out at the sight of Caleb being loaded into the back of the waiting ambulance. Paige's heart broke for her. She knew, all too well, the horror of seeing someone you love in danger. "Where is she? I need to see her?"

"She's with some other officers. They're escorting her down here in a minute. Can you tell us what happened here?"

Paige wanted to cooperate. She numbly answered their questions as best as she could. What she could remember. Her eyes went wide as two more paramedics wheeled down another stretched with a body bag strapped to it. She knew, without having to ask, that was the body of Lyndon James and she shuddered involuntarily at the site of the ambulance doors closing behind the stretcher carrying his body.

Two more officers came down the trail slowly supporting a figure between them. With uniformed arms around her shoulders and waist Emily was guided between them and towards where Paige was standing. Paige's breath caught in her throat at the site of Emily alive and, for the most part, well and she longed to go to her. To wrap her arms around her and never let her go.

She watched, without being able to hear what was being said, Emily answer the same series of questions she was being subjected to. Did you know the victim? Was he a friend of yours? The questions were going on. Paige couldn't help but notice Emily staring hard with longing at something behind them. She turned to see Hannah, beside herself with worry for Caleb, being supported and comforted by Aria and Spencer. She looked back to Emily to see the heartbreak, sorrow and fear for her friend and knew she could help, finally.

She squeezed between the two officers questioning her and interrupted the two talking with Emily. As soon as they turned their attention to her she saw Emily take off to be with her friends and breathed a deep sigh of relief as Hannah fell into Emily's arms and they held each other and cried.

Paige watched them for a moment and almost felt like she was intruding on the moment of their shared grief. She looked around to find she was alone, the officers having been called away to other responsibilities. She looked back at the girls and met Spencer's eyes. The moment was brief but in that look she saw, clearly, the relief, gratitude and apology meant only for her. Paige met her gaze and gave a slight nod. She knew that was as close as she was going to get to a Spencer Hastings apology, It was enough


	7. Chapter 7

Paige looked up at the night sky and let out a long shuddering breath she didn't know she had been holding. She felt the last of the adrenaline from the last two days leaching from her body and she'd never been so tired in all her life. She felt her legs begin to shake and wobble and the pain of all the physical insults she had endured cried out for attention.

She didn't hear the medic approach her from behind but was grateful when a blanket was draped around her shoulders and strong arms came around her waist to support her.

"Hey, let me help you." The soothing voice of the woman in a blue medic's jumpsuit said as she guided Paige to the back of the last remaining ambulance.

"What's your name she asked?" As she sat Paige down at the back and wrapped the blanket more firmly around her.

"Paige…" She stammered as she felt her whole body beginning to tremble. "Paige McCullers." Her voice sounded raspy and weak.

"I'm Tara." The medic answered pulling a penlight out of her pocket. "You may be going into shock. I need you to focus on me and I'm going to help you." Her voice was firm but soothing and she shown the penlight in Paige's eyes judging the reactivity of her pupils.

Tara lifted Paige's chin to and sucked in a breath as the got a better look and the bruising around her neck. "Paige, can you tell me how this happened?"

"Um…" Paige's brow furrowed in concentration she was having a hard time focusing. The world seemed to be growing distant.

"Paige, you need to stay with me." Tara's voice grew more insistent. "Tell me how you hurt your neck."

"When he caught me….he grabbed me from behind." Paige's breath started coming in short bursts with the memory. "He had his arm around my neck choking me." She finally managed.

"Okay, that's good." Tara moved her hands gently to to back of Paige's neck and began palpating her neck and shoulders for serious injury. Paige winced and let out a low moan and the pressure.

"I know it hurts, Paige. You're doing great." She continued her exploration around to the soft tissue at her throat checking for damage. "I don't think you have any vertebral fractures but we won't know for sure until you get some x-rays. I'm going to put a C-collar on you to stabilize your head and neck and prevent further damage."

Paige wanted to protest, tell this woman she was fine but her body felt like lead, she had no fight left in her. She moved woodenly into the ambulance and let Tara strap a cervical collar around her. It was awkward at first but it did relieve some of the pressure on her neck and shoulders and, for that, Paige was grateful. Tara guided her down onto the stretcher and helped Paige get comfortable lying down.

As Tara crossed straps snugly across Paige's chest, abdomen and legs she kept talking to her." Paige, I'm going to start and IV to get some fluids into you. It's going to help with the shock and dehydration. You'll start to feel better."

With the collar on Paige's visibility was limited but she could hear her moving around opening packages of something. She felt prick in the back of her hand and tried to roll her eyes down to watch the needle slide in. Tape went across her hand to keep the IV port in place and she watched as Tara hung a bag for fluid from the hook over Paige's head.

"How's that? Are you doing okay?" Tara asked.

"Yeah…" Paige winced as shooting pains ran down her back. "It hurts a little." She breathed.

"Okay, I'm going to give you something for the pain and to help your muscles relax. You've taken quite a beating today and your muscles are starting to spasm." Tara unwrapped a syringe and plunged it into a vial of pain medication.

"No, no." Paige gripped at the medic's sleeve with her hand. "I don't want to go to sleep. Please, don't knock me out. I don't want to ever sleep again" Paige was frantic but her voice came out weak and trembly.

"It's okay, Paige. The meds will help you relax, maybe make you feel drowsy and help with the pain. You won't go to sleep if you don't want to." Tara didn't wait for the girl's reply and plunged the needle into the IV port and depressed the plunger. She watched Paige's face relax as the meds started working their way into her system. Paige blinked slowly and sighed deeply as the pain eased.

"Alright. You're doing great Paige." Tara gave her arm a squeeze. "I'm going to make sure my partner is all set and then we're going to get you to the hospital. "Hang in there for a few minutes."

Paige heard the ambulance doors swing open and closed and then silence. She stared at the ceiling which seemed much farther away that the four feet it was. She drifted in and out, flashes of events and emotions coming unbidden into her mind. Lyndon jumping her in the park, a terrifying ride in the trunk of his car, hearing him tell her his plans for Emily, fear, rage and waking up in the closet knowing Emily was in the next room. Her mind's eyes showed her, in vivid color, the image of Lyndon with a knife to Emily's throat, the fear in her eyes and tears began to stream down Paige's face unchecked. The pain meds were the final straw and Paige gave up control. She felt sick and weak and very alone. The only sound her own ragged pain filled breathing.

She heard the ambulance doors open and wished she could move to wipe away the tears on her face. She kept her eyes closed and, despite the collar, tried to turn her head to the side so the medic wouldn't see her so broken. She hated feeling so weak and vulnerable.

A soft hand brushed at the tears in her eyes and gently stroked the side of her face.

"Don't look away."


	8. Chapter 8

"Em…" Paige breathed and opened her eyes to see the most beautiful face of Emily Fields looking down on her. Being near her. Breathing. Alive.

"Shhh...just listen." Emily picked up Paige's hand carefully, afraid to cause her more pain and being mindful of the IV. "I'm so sorry for what you went through tonight. It's my fault. I let him into our lives and he…" She took a shuddering breath.

"Emily, don't…" Paige whispered.

"He hurt you." Tears sprang to Emily's eyes and they flashed with anger and fear. "I was so scared for you. And you were so brave. What you did for me...I don't even have the words." Emily bowed her head over Paige's hand and let the tears flow freely.

"Emily, don't cry, please." Paige tried to sit up but the collar and straps kept her firmly on the stretcher. She squeezed Emily's hand. She wanted so desperately to hold her, touch her face. "I'm okay. I'm not hurt anywhere that won't heal. You're safe. That's all that matters."

Emily looked at her again and smiled that special smile reserved only for Paige. " When you said you would protect me with your life I never, in a million years, imagined you'd have to. I'm so sorry."

Paige could feel herself fading. Her eyes were growing heavier and she was losing her fight to stay awake.

"It's okay." Emily stroked her face. "You're safe now. Just rest."

Paige's breathing grew deeper and slower and her eyes slid closed. "Please, don't leave me." she whispered.

"Never." Emily sighed. "You know he was right about one thing." Emily said and watched as Paige dragged her eyes open again. "I picked you. I'll always pick you.


End file.
